Adjustable tongue hound



April 26, 1932. H. J. HEIDER 1,355,236

ADJUSTABLE TONGUE HOUND Filed July 2, 1929 J za I fizwzzior Patented Apr. 26, 1932 PATENT OFFICE HENRY J. HEIDER, OF CARROLL IOWA ADJUSTABLE TONGUE HOUND Application filed July 2, 1929. Serial No. 375,382.

The object of my invention is to provide an adjustable tongue hound of simple, durable and inexpensive construction which may be easily and quickly adjusted to fit for- Ward wagon hounds of various makes and sizes, and when so fit, the strain on the adjustable members is comparatively small, so that the tendency of said adjustment to work loose will be practically eliminated.

More specifically it is the object, of my invention to provide an adjustable tongue hound having hound bars adapted to be adjusted to various angular. positions to fit various makes of wagon hounds, and providcd with improved means for connecting the hound bars with the tongue whereby the draft between the tongue and said hound bars may be applied in such manner that there will be very little tendency toward moving the hound bars from their adjusted positions.

A further object is to provide in an adjustable tongue hound, having adjustable hound bars for coacting with the hounds of the Wagon, improved means for adjusting said hound bars relative to the tongue and the wagon hounds.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various 3 parts of the device, whereby the objects con templated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of my improved tongue hound.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of same.

Figure 3 is a rear end view of my improved tongue hound.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line H of Figure 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have. used the reference numeral to indicate a wagon tongue of ordinary construction, with the exception that a transverse slot 11 is extended through the horizontal center of the tongue near its rear end. Said slot. is designed to receive a connecting pin 12. of ordinary construction, and is for the purpose of pivotally connecting the tongue hound with the wagon hound. A strap 13 is provided on the upper surface of the tongue having an opening 1 in its forward end which is in alinement with an opening 15. in the tongue for receiving the double tree pin, 1;; the draft being applied to the tongue at this point.

Adjacent to each side of the tongue 10 and opposite from the opening 15 is a bracket plate 16. Each of the said bracket plates has a laterally extending flange 17.

Pivotally connected to each of the flanges 1'? is a draft bar 18. The rear end of each ofthe bars 18 is pivotally connected to the central portion of inwardly extending flanges19 of hound bars 20. The hound bars 20 have openings 21 through which the connecting pin 12. extends. The bars 18 are pivotally connected to the flanges 19 by suitable rivets 22, or similar devices, mounted 1 near the connecting pin 12.

The forward end of each of the flanges 19 of the hound bars is provided with slots 23 for receiving bolts 24: mounted in the draft bars 18, so that the angularity of the hound n bars 20 may be varied relative to the longitudinal axis of the tongue 10, and relative to the longitudinal axis of the draft bars 18, so that the hound bars 20 may be adjusted to fit the inner faces of the wagon hounds. The slot 11 provides for any forward or rearward movement of the connecting pin 12, due to the angular movement ofthe draft bars 18 as the adjustment is being made.

Abrace bar 25 is supported transversely on the upper face of the rear end of the tongue 10 by means of bolts 26 projecting down- Wardly past the sides of the tongue and through a clamp plate 27 beneath the tongue. Nuts 28 are provided for the lower ends of the bolts so that the bars 27 and 25 may be drawn together and clamped to the tongue to adjustably and rigidly secure the brace bar in position.

Each end of the brace bar 25 is provided 95 with a series of openings 29. Pivotally connected to the rear end of each of the flanges 19 is a short brace bar 30, each of which is provided with a slot 31. The brace bars 30 are of such length that when said brace bars are mounted beneath the ends of the brace bar 25, the slot 31 will be supported beneath one or more of the openings 29. A bolt 32 is then placed in one of each set of openings 29 and extends through the slot 31 and anchored in position by means of a nut 33.

The brace bars 25 and 30 provide means for adjustably supporting the rear ends of the hound bars against inward and outward movement. These braces are adjusted after the angle of the hound bars has been adjusted by the bolts 24. It will be seen that the brace bar 25 may be moved longitudinally of the tongue to accommodate the forward and rearward movement of the pivots of the brace. members 30 due to the angular movement of the hound bars.

It will be seen by referring to Figure 1 that the pivots between the flanges 17 and the draft bars 18, the pivots 22 and the openings 21 are substantially in common alinement, so that any forward draft applied to the bars 18 will be applied to the hound bars near the openings 21, where the draft is applied to the pin 12, so that there is but a small tendency, if any, toward the hound bars 20 rotating about the intersecting points between the pin 12 and said hound bars as an axis, thereby relieving the bolts 2a of comparatively all lateral strains between the flanges 19 and said bolts, due to the draft of the bars 18.

In a like manner the bolts 32 are also relieved of any strains due to the rotation of the hound bars about the intersecting points between said hound bars and the connecting pin. The adjusting bolts 24 and 32 only have to carry any strains imparted between the tongue hounds and the tongue for rotating the wagon hound about its king bolt.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an adjustable tongue hound of simple, durable and inexpensive construction which may be easily and quickly applied to the wagon hounds, and when the proper adjustments have been made, any tendency toward loosening of said adjustment, due to the draft strains of the tongue, will be substantially eliminated, thus providing means whereby comparatively light clamping devices may be provided, and at the same time provide clamping devices which will not easily Work loose after adjustment has been made.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a Wagon tongue having a transverse and horizontal slot through said tongue near its rear end, a connecting pin extending through said slot, a bracket plate adjacent to each side of said tongue ahead of said slot, each of said plates having an outwardly extending flange, a draft bar pivotally connected to each of said flanges to swing in a horizontal plane, a hound bar for each of said draft bars, each hound bar having an opening for receiving said connecting pin and having one edge provided with an inwardly extending flange, the forward end of each of said flanges being provided with transverse slots, means for pivotally connecting the rear end of said draft bars to said flanges at points near the intersection of said connecting pin and said hound bars, a bolt carried by each of said draft bars extending through the slots of said flanges a nut for each of said bolts, a brace bar mounted transversely and adjacent to the upper face of said tongue near its rear end, a clamp plate beneath said tongue and beneath said brace bar, bolts for securing said clamp bar and said brace bar to said tongue, each end of said brace bar being provided with a series of openings, a short brace bar pivotally connected to the rear end of each of said hound flanges and designed to underlap the free end of said brace bar, each of said short brace bars being provided with a slot in alinement with'corresponding openings of the first said brace bar, a bolt extending through each of said slots and through one of the corresponding openings of the first said brace bar, and a nut for each of said bolts.

2. In combination, a tongue having a slot near its rear end, a connecting pin for said slot, a draft bar pivotally connected to said tongue at a point ahead of said slot, a hound bar having a central opening for receiving each end of said connecting pin, means for pivotally connecting the rear end of each of said draft bars to said hound bars near the intersecting points of said hound bars and said connecting pin, and means for adjustably connecting the forward ends of said hound bars to said draft bars.

3. In combination, a Wagon tongue having a transverse and horizontal slot through said tongue near its rear end, a connecting pin extending through said slot, a bracket plate adjacent to each side of said tongue ahead of said slot, each of said plates having an outwardly extending flange, a draft bar pivotally connected to each of said flanges to swing in a horizontal plane, a hound bar for each of said draft bars, each hound bar having an opening for receiving said connecting pin and having one edge provided with an inwardly extending flange, the forward end of each of said flanges being provided with transverse slots, means for pivotally connecting the rear end of said draft bars to said flanges at points near the intersection of said connecting pin and said hound bars, a bolt carried by each of said draft bars extending through the slots of said flanges, and a nut for each of said bolts.

4. In combination, a tongue, a connecting pin supported transversely in one end of said tongue, a bracket carried by each side of said tongue ahead of said pin, a draft bar pivotally connected to each of said brackets designed to extend rearwardly and outwardly, a

hound bar for each of said draft bars, each hound bar having a central opening, means for pivotally connecting the rear end of each of said draft bars to its respective hound bar at points adjacent to the intersection of said hound bars and said connecting pin.

5. In combination, a tongue, a connecting pin supported transversely in one end of said tongue, a bracket carried by each side of said tongue ahead of said pin, a draft bar pivotally connected to each of said brackets designed to extend rearwardly and outward- 1y, a hound bar for each of said draft bars, each hound bar having a central opening, means for pivotally connecting the rear end of each of said draft bars to its respective hound bar at points adjacent to the intersection of said hound bars and said connecting pin, and means for adjustably connecting the forward ends of said hound bars to their respective draft bars.

Des Moines, Iowa, June 20, 1929.

HENRY J. HEIDER; 

